Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Take I-10 east from Scottsdale to El Paso, about 430 miles and roughly 6–7 hours of wheel time before breaks. Leave in the morning with a full tank, swap drivers every couple of hours, and budget closer to 8 hours door to door with stops and traffic. Your first planned break is Love’s Travel Stop in Benson, about 2–3 hours into the drive: fuel, restrooms, coffee, and snacks make this a useful quick reset, not a sightseeing stop. The fuel and convenience-store areas are generally open around the clock; allow 15–30 minutes.
Continue east on I-10 to Love’s Travel Stop in Las Cruces for another fuel and stretch break, roughly 3–4 hours into the drive. Check your fuel range before leaving Benson, and give yourselves 20–30 minutes here so the final stretch doesn’t feel rushed. Then follow I-10 into El Paso; allow extra time for city traffic and choose your overnight parking before you’re tired.
After arriving, keep dinner simple at Whataburger in El Paso—budget about $10–$20 per person, with hours varying by location. If you’re sleeping in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, don’t assume a travel stop permits overnight parking: ask the manager first, park only where directed, and have a backup such as a campground or budget hotel. A rest stop is not a substitute for a proper night’s sleep, especially with the long drive continuing tomorrow.
The drive from El Paso to Headland is roughly 1,200 miles—about 18–20 hours behind the wheel before fuel, meals, traffic, and rest. Even with two drivers, it isn’t a safe one-day leg. If you’re continuing by Jeep, take I-10 east and make Love’s Travel Stop in Van Horn an early fuel, restroom, and driver-change stop; then keep going only while both drivers are alert.
Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels can work as a longer meal and break, but it’s a detour north of I-10, and the busy lot can add time. Treat it as optional if you’re running behind rather than trying to make up time afterward. Stop for the night at a legal, well-lit place near your route as soon as either driver feels tired; sleeping in the Jeep is not a substitute for a planned rest stop, and driving through the night won’t make this leg reasonable.
This day’s safe driving plan ends at an overnight stop—not Headland. To arrive there by Tuesday night and drive home by then as well, the itinerary needs more days; the listed El Paso–Dothan flight is the more practical way to reach Headland, but it means arranging separate transportation for the Jeep. Don’t count on completing the full drive today.
Keep this a driving day, not a sightseeing day: have breakfast at Headland Café (allow about an hour and roughly $10–$20 per person; check current hours before setting out), then fuel up and begin the westbound drive. The important reality check is that Headland to Scottsdale is roughly 1,600 miles and 23–25 hours of driving before breaks. With two drivers, that still isn’t a safe or realistic trip to finish by Tuesday night if you’re leaving Headland today.
Use I-10 west for the main route, trading drivers regularly and stopping for fuel, food, and proper rest; don’t treat a quick driver swap as a substitute for sleep. Plan an overnight stop rather than sleeping in the Jeep at a rest area or pushing through while tired. To make the return safely, allow at least two nights on the road; the trip as outlined also needs more time on the outbound leg, or you’ll need to shorten the overall plan. Check live traffic, road conditions, and lodging before departure, and don’t count on reaching Scottsdale Tuesday night by car.
No packing list attached yet.